Pilot-light control



Feb SQ 1927' E. A. TAB'ER ET AL PILOT LIGHT CONTROL Filed July l, 1925 Patented Feb. 8, 1927.

UNITED vSTAT-lss A mfrENTorifice. y

EDWARD A. TARER AND ANDREW e. s PINNEY, oFroRTLAND, MAINE` PILOT- LIGHT coNTRo'L. l

' Application lcd July 1,.'1925. Serial Nol-10,781.-

This invention relates to pilot light controlling devices having for its object the control of a pilot light, the same being intended moreparticularly though not exclusively for,

illustration of one specific embodimentthereof, while its sc'ope will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings,-

Fig. `1 is an elevation of a conventional form of liquid fuel burner with the pilot light controllingdevice applied thereto;

n I l u f Flg. 2 1s an elevation 1n sect1ontaken 1n part through the controlling valve land in part through the attached transformer; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional detail plan showing the shape of the valve ,stern and the surrounding passage. l

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1, We have there' shown such parts of a conventional form of oil burner as are necessary to-an understanding of the.

' f outlet 41 lconnected to present inventlon.

The burner comprises the rotary nozzle 1 located within thef repot 13 of the heater 15,

the nozzle being rotated by` a motor 17 arranged in the space beneath the irepot and mounted to rotate about a vertical axis. The nozzle is connected through a hollou7 shaft 19 With amotor-driven gear pump 21,

through which commingled air andv liquid fuel are supplied under pressure to the noz-- zle and distributed and burned in bustion chamber of the firepot.

The feed motor 17, which supplies the liquid fuel under pressure in the form of comthe com- .mingledair and'v oil.,y isifsupplied with current through the cable connection 23 and a conventional type of controlling switch, the latter arranged within the casing 25 and connected with the main line circuit 27 ,the switch being capable of being thrown to close the motor circuit by means of the room thermostat 29 controlling the switch through the circuit 31. As is usual in this classy of devices, when the temperature falls and' the thermostat 29 acts, the switch 25 closes the motor circuit, the latter starts into operation feeding air and oil to the burner, and the burner continues in operation until a rise in the -room temperature causes the thermostatto close the thermostat circuit 31 and, acting through the switch 25, to open the motor circuit and cut' olf current from the main power lin 27.

The liquid fuel burner is also provided with the usual pilot llght 33,y the burnerof wh1ch is supplied with gaseous fuel through the supply pipe 35. 4During the time that the main burner is `out of action and the motor at rest, it is unnecessary that the pilot light vburn under its full volume. mgly, we have herein provided a simple but effective form of. controlling device in the form of an electrically actuated valve adaptedto supply the pilot light burner with' a reduced volume of gas during such period as the b1 1rner is out of action, but to increase that volume to itsfull amount when the. burneris started in operation,

and preferably to maintain itat its full volume during the 'entire period of main burner operation.l connected in` the pilot llght supply pipe 35 and is shown Accordas the main burner is out of operation, the

port 49 is closed bythe conical -va'lve 51 whlch seats against the upper edges of the port, means" beingprovided, as Awill hereafter appear` to ralse the valve to open the port and /admit the full volume of gas supply to the pilot light when the main burner is `started into operation. y

While the main burner is out of operation a small volume of gas is admitted to the outlet 41 through a by-pass 53, which latter comprises a right-angled passage communicating with thel bottom of the chamber 45 and opening laterally into the port 49. The amount of ^gas passing throu,r l1 the, by-pass may be regulated by the adjusting screw by meanswf which the amount of gas passingthrough the bypass ,passage may be 'restricted more or lessI `at will. While the main burner is out of operation, therefore,

a restricted quantity of gas passes around the valve 51 -through burner When the main burner starts into operation, the valve 51 is surmounted by and attached tothe disk armature 57 preferably of soft iron, which armature is cooperatively related to the poles of a pair of magnets 59 (one only of Which appears in Fig. 2). UThe latter are adapted to be energized when the lnain burner is started up to raise the armature and lift the valve and open the port 49 to the space 45. lVhen the magnets 59 are deenergized, the valve again drops to its closed position.

To guide the valve in its movements between its opened and closed positions, it is preferably provided vvitha stem 61 Which has guiding contact with the walls of the port a9 but is so shaped as to leave ample passage for the gas through that part of the port belowthe valve. Herein, as Will appear from Fig. 3, the stem 61 is cut away on three sides to give a generally triangular cross section, the stem having free sliding contact with the Walls of the port adjacent the apeXes of the. triangle.

Various means may be utilized for energizing the magnets 59 and opening thegas vvalve when the main burner starts into.

' 51 opened. When the motor circuit is again opened through the action of the thermostat 29, the magnets 59 are deenergized, the armature drops and the valve moves to its closed position, cutting off the main gas supply and permitting only the reduced volume of gas to flow through the by-pass to the pilot light burner.

While We have herein shown and described for purposes of illustration one speeific form of pilotlight control device, it is to be understood that Various modifications thereof may be employed and other applications thereof made and other means for controlling the same may be utilized, all within the spirit of the invention.

Claims:

1. A pilot light control valve for a liquid fuel burner or the like comprising a casing, a hollow cap therefor, the cap cooperatively related to the casing to form achamber, a valve controlled port with al l5f-pass for the port, a valve normally arranged to close the port and having a stem provided with a part of magnetic material in cooperative relation With .the magnet Winding, an electrically' controlled'device lfor energizing the magnet vto open the valve and increase the volume of fuel supply to the pilot light burner during the time the burner is in operation.

2. A pilot light control valve for a liquid fuel burner or the like comprising a casing and a cap therefor, the cap co-operatively related to a depression in the casing to form a supply chamber, said chamber having an inlet passage and a longitudinally arranged exit passage, the latter being of circular cross section and having a valve controlled port in said casing at the bottom of the chamber and connected to a suitable outlet passage, said casing having also a by-pass leading from said chamber to the eXit passage beyond said port, means to regulate the flow of gas through said by-pass, a valve adapted to seat against ana close the port,- the valve having a guiding stemof non-circular cross section extending into the -ex-it passage permitting the bypassed fuel to flow in said exit passage and having also a part of magnetic material located above the port, a magnet winding Within the cap and adapted When energized to lift the part of magnetic material and*I raise and open the valve, the latter being restored to a closed position by gravity when the magnet is de-energized; and means for energizing the magnet.

In testimony whereof, We have signed our names to this specification.

EDWARD A. TABER. ANDREW G. SPINNEY. 

